US Weather: Polar Vortex to Bring Life-Threatening Cold to Mountain States Following Winter Storms and Deadly Floods | US News
Severe weather and dangerously low temperatures are set to affect western states near the Rocky Mountains, following a weekend of severe flooding that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people in the eastern United States.
The National Weather Service’s (NWS) weather prediction center has indicated that a winter storm moving from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic region is expected to arrive later this week.
On Tuesday, temperatures in northeastern Montana are forecasted to plummet to as low as -42.7C, with wind chills potentially reaching -51C.
Additionally, the weather service warned that wind chill temperatures could drop to -45.6C across most of North Dakota, which remains under an “extreme cold warning,” affecting large areas of South Dakota and Minnesota.
A runner in heavy snow in Alameda Avenue at Marion Parkway, Colorado. Pic: AP
This marks the 10th and most severe polar vortex of the season so far, with pressure systems forcing frigid Arctic air southward into North America and Europe.
What is a polar vortex?
The polar vortex is a significant area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s poles, referring to the counter-clockwise air movement that retains colder air near the poles.
This phenomenon occurs regularly during winter and is frequently linked to widespread outbreaks of Arctic air across the US.
In a social media update, the NWS stated that the weather system “will generate extensive, heavy, and disruptive snowfall.”
‘Frostbite within minutes’
The NWS further stated that “a dangerously cold air mass with severe wind chill temperatures is expected to extend from the Great Plains to the northeast,” with “high confidence for widespread, record-breaking cold” conditions across the central states.
The NWS added: “Wind chills ranging from -30F to -60F are anticipated across the northern Plains, persisting for several days.
“These severe conditions can lead to frostbite in just minutes. Sub-zero wind chills are likely to extend as far south as Texas, Arkansas, as well as western Tennessee and Kentucky.”
Avalanche warnings have also been issued for various areas across the Rocky Mountains, stretching from Colorado to Washington state, with the highest danger level noted in Utah.
Kentucky floods claim at least nine lives
This follows flooding incidents in the eastern states that resulted in at least 10 fatalities, including nine deaths in Kentucky, where a mother and her seven-year-old child were among the victims, and another death reported in Georgia.
Cars submerged in floodwaters at a railroad underpass in Louisville, Kentucky. Pic: AP
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear remarked on Sunday that the storm constituted “one of the most serious weather events we’ve experienced in at least a decade.”
He further stated on social media: “We urge Kentuckians to remain vigilant. There are over 300 road closures, with officials indicating that the statewide impact is historic.”
